Underwater work vessel



June 4, 1968 I D. P. CONNALLY 3,386,254

UNDERWATER WORK VESSEL Filed April 26. 1.966 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A, 5 v gtjvflamlw ATTORNEY June 4, 1968 D. P. CONNALLY 3,386,254

UNDERWATER WORK VESSEL Filed April 26. 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet f3 fl/ckey P. (00/70/61 INVENT OR JTIORNE Y June 4. 1968 D. P. CONNALLY 3,386,254

UNDERWATER WORK VESSEL Filed April 26. 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 I I f 1 INVEVTOR ATTORNEY Unitcd States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A compartment is made of segments which are arranged to be bolted together in forming a watertight chamber about a workpiece at a subsea location. Sealing structure is formed about longitudinal members extending at angles from the workpiece to maintain the chamber watertight.

The present invention relates to apparatus used in working underwater and more particularly to an underwater vessel which will provide a non-hostile environment for workmen beneath the waters surface.

conventionally, work under water has to be performed by workmen in diving suits and with apparatus modified to operate in water. Because of this, a defective work product has often resulted. Due to the necessity that the workmen 'be skilled in diving, the requirement that they be accomplished in the type of work that they are to do, for example welding, is often compromised. Furthermore, hampered by the bulky diving gear and by the water, the work is a great deal more taxing and satisfactory results are harder to achieve. The equipment used must, of necessity, be of the type which will operate in water. Such equipment often does not gove the effective results that standard equipment used under dry conditions does. Furthermore, the underwater equipment is often more expensive while being of a lesser quality. The mere fact of working in water, rather than under dry conditions, frequently produces inferior results and restricts the type of materials that may be used in the work.

The present invention overcomes these disadvantages by the utilization of an underwater vessel having a compartment which is water-free, and which allows the workman to perform his work in a relatively dry environment. This compartment is further characterized by being composed of individual sections, these sections being joined together under water in a water-tight manner to form the compartment. Air is then forced into the compartment to drive out the water and to maintain an atmosphere suitable for men to work in without wearing underwater diving apparatus.

Usually, the object on which the'work is to be performed is quite large and cannot be completely enclosed within the compartment. Portions of the object itself or elements and members attached thereto must extend out of the compartment. Such is the case, for example, where the underwater object is a pipe line or a supporting structure for olf-shore oil drilling equipment. In such a situation, only the part of the object on which the work is to be performed can, or need be, enclosed. Provision must be made, however, to allow these larger portions of the object or the additional elements and/ or members (all of which, for simplicitys sake, will hereinafter be referred to as extraneous matters) to extend from the compartment and still maintain the compartment in a watertight condition.

The present invention accomplishes this in a novel manner by the utilization of indented or recessed areas along the edges of the aforementioned sections to allow the extraneous members to extend from the compartment. The sections are so constructed that, when they are placed 'ice together, the indented areas pass about the extraneous members allowing the remainder of the edges of the sections to meet and be fashioned into a watertight seal. Clamp members, partially comprised of sealing elements, are then passed about each extraneous member and securely attached to the compartment and the respective extraneous member in such a manner as to also form a watertight seal. The compartment is thus effectively sealed against the inflow of water and the water trapped in the compartment as it was formed may be forced out by appropriate means.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a vessel which will supply a non-hostile environment for work being performed under water.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a vessel which will allow men to work under water without being hampered with unwieldly underwater breathing apparatus.

A still further object is to provide an underwater work vessel wherein equipment may be used which need not be modified for use in water.

An additional object is to provide such an underwater work vessel which may be used on objects of various shapes and sizes, and which may be removed after the work has been performed for future re-use.

Another object is to provide such a vessel which allows portions of the object or other members larger than the vessel to project out of the vessel without the vessel losing its watertight characteristics.

Other and further objects, features and advantages will be apparent from the following description of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention given for the purpose of disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where like character references designate like parts throughout the several views and where:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of the invention, only two of the sealing members being shown,

FIGURE 2 is an elevational sectional view of the embodiment of FIGURE 1 taken along line 22 of FIG- URE 1, and showing the invention mounted on a structure on which work is to be performed,

FIGURE 3 is a partial sectional view of the seal formed between the edges of the compartment sections, taken along lines 3--3 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged end view of one of the seals shown in FIGURE 2, taken along line 4-4 of FIG- URE 2,

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the seal shown in FIGURE 4, taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 4,

FIGURE 6 is a modified embodiment of a seal used for an extraneous member which is an I-beam,

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention, secured to a pipeline located on the bottom of a body of water, and

FIGURE 8 is an elevational view in section of the present invention as modified for use in deep water.

Referring now to the various figures of the drawing and in particular to FIGURES 1 and 2, there is shown one embodiment of the present invention generally indicated by the reference numeral 10. This embodiment is essentially composed of two sections 12 and 14, section 12 making up the major portion of the vessel. The two sections have mating edge flanges 16, 18, 20 and 22, which, for simplicitys sake, have only been partially shown in FIGURE 1. The flanges 16, 18, 20 and 22 however extend the entire length of the mating edges of the two sections 12 and 14. Located between the flanges are seal members 17, shown in FIGURE 3. The flanges are secured by nut and bolt means 19. The sections 12 and 14 are further comprised of top portions 24 and 26, respectively. Re-

cessed areas 28 and 30 are located in the tops of the.

sections and form the opening generally indicated at 32 when the sections are joined together. Also located on the tops 24 and 26 are the studs 34, inlet means 36 and exhaust means 38. Suitable valve means 39 as shown in FIGURE 2 are used with the exhaust means to allow purging of the compartment whenever desired.

As can be seen from an examination of FIGURES l and 2, when the sections 12 and 14 are joined together by their flanges 16, 18 and 2t), 22, a compartment is formed which is substantially rectangular in shape and has an open bottom. Additionally recessed areas are located along the mating edges of the sections 12 and 14 and form additional openings 40, 42 and 44, these openings being in the sides of the compartment rather than the top as is opening 32. Extending from the sides of sections 12 and 14 and located around the openings 48 and 42 are stud members 46 for use in attaching sealing members as will be discussed below. Located in the sides of the sections and around the opening 44 are smaller openings 48 for use in securing a sealing member for the opening 44.

Extension members 50 and 52 extend from the sides of sections 12 and 14 adjacent the mating edges 20 and 22, the members 50 and 52 extending in a direction parallel to the extraneous member 271. The members 50 and 52 have face plates 54 and 56 with recessed areas therein to form an opening 58 when the members are joined together. The face plates 54 and 56 lie in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the extraneous support about which the extension members are located. Also located on the face plates are stud members 60.

Two sealing members are shown in FIGURE 1, one for the opening 44 and extraneous support member 71 (shown in FIGURE 2) and the second for the opening 58 and extraneous diagonally disposed support 271 (shown in FIGURE 2). An additional sealing member 35 is shown in FIGURE 2 for the top of the compartment and is similar in construction to the two sea-ling members to be now discussed. Turning first to the sealing member used with opening 44, a seal member 62 is located immediately adjacent the sides of the sections 12 and 14. The member 62 may be composed of rubber, neoprene, or any other such suitable material. Located adjacent the seal member 62 and securing it to the compartment, as best seen in FIGURE 5, is clamp member 64. The clamp member 64 is composed also of two sections 66 and 68. Referring also to FIGURE 4, it can be seen that section 66 is substantially larger than section 68, the two sections being joined together in a water-tight manner by the lugs 70, 72, 74 and 76, and by their associated nut and bolt means 78.

Both of the sections 66 and 68 have a flat flange member, 80 and 82 respectively. Extending outwardly from and at right angles to the plates 80 and 82 are collar portions 84 and 86. The lug members 70 and 76 cooperate with their associated nut and bolt means 78 to securely fasten together the plates 80 and 82 and the lug members 72 and 74 clamp the collar portions 84 and 86 and in turn the seal member 88 around the extraneous support member 71.

Located in the plate portions 80 and 82 are holes 90. The holes 90 are matched with the openings 48 in the side walls of the compartment to provide means by which the external seal 64 may be attached to the compartment by suitable fastening means 92. As can be seen in FIG- URE 4, the holes 90 are substantially larger than the corresponding holes 48. This allows a certain amount of flexibility in positioning the external seal 64 while still having the openings 48 and 90 aligned, as seen in FIG- URE 4. Accordingly, the seal sections 66 and 68 may be moved about somewhat to compensate for any possible change in the position and/ or size or configuration of the extraneous support member 71. Such a change may be brought about, for example, by damage to the member 71. Large washers 94 are used with the oversize openings and fastening means 92.

FIGURE 6 shows a modified external sealing member 164 for use on an extraneous support member 171 which has a cross sectional configuration of that of an I-beam. As with the sealing member 64, sealing member 164 is made up of two sections 166 and 168, each of these sections, however, being substantially equal in size. The means of attaching the two sections together is the same as with the embodiment of FIGURE 4, i.e., by lug means 170, 172, 174 and 176 and associated nut and bolt means 178. The oversized bolt holes are shown, but the attaching means used therein have been omitted for purposes of illustration. As shown, in FIGURE 6, the sections 166 and 168 may be adjusted to compensate for any change in the extraneous support 171 while maintaining holes 48 and 198 in alignment for insertion of the fastening means. A sealing member 188 is located between the support 171 and the collar members 184 and 186. A seal member (not shown) is also located between the compartment and the sections 166 and 168 in the same manner as the sealing member 62 in the embodiment of FIGURE 4.

Referring once again to FIGURES 1 and 2, the external sealing member 264 for the diagonal extraneous support member 271 is attached to the face plates 54 and 56 of the extension portions 58 and 52. Interposed between the clamping means 264 is a seal member 262 which is compressed by the clamping means 264 in the same manner as the seal member 62, thereby forming a watertight seal with the compartment 11]. The clamping means 264 is composed of two sections 266 and 268, each section being composed of a fiat plate member, 280 and 282, and an upstanding collar member, 284 and 286. The collar members 284 and 286 cooperate with a seal member 288 to form a watertight seal with the diagonal support 271 in the same manner as in the previously discussed embodiments. Lug means are formed on the joining edges of the plates 282 and 280 and the collar members 284 and 286 to join these members and effect the watertight seal. Due to the extension members 50 and 52 and the right-angled face plates, the seal member 264 may be identical to seal member 64. The only differences between the two in the present embodiment are: the sections 266 and 268 are substantially of equal size, whereas the sections 66 and 68 are of unequal size; and the external sealing member 264 is attached to the face plates 54 and 56 by means of stud members 60 and nut members 292, as compared to the embodiment of FIGURE 4 whichutilizes holes 48 and nut and bolt means 92. It should be noted that oversized openings (not shown) are also used with the stud members 60 to allow adjustment of the exteral sealing member 264.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, a work platform 96 is attached to the vertical support member 7 by means of the collar 97. A second collar 98 is attached to the vertical support 7, and is connected to the vessel 10 by means of the straps 100.

In FIGURE 7, a modified embodiment of the present invention is shown attached to a pipe line which is lying on the bottom of a body of water. In this embodiment the compartment 310 is shaped somewhat similarly to a football, i.e., ellipsoidal. The compartment 310 is once again composed of sections which are joined by means of flanges generally indicated at 316. The compartment in this embodiment is constructed of three sections 312, 313 and 314. At least three sectios are required in this embodiment due to the locations on the surface of the compartment at which the extraneous members 370, 371, 372 and 373 project from the vessel. This will be covered more fully in the discussion below relating to the operation of the invention. At each point at which an extraneous member leaves the compartment is an extension member, all of which are generally referred to by the numeral 350. The extension members are made up of two sections and are similar in construction and function to the extension elements 50 and 52 in the principal embodiment. Each extension member 350 has a face plate area 354 for attaching a sealing member 364, which is identical to the member 64.

Referring now to FIGURE 8, the present invention is shown as it would be modified for operation in relatively deep water. Unlike the vessel 10, the deep water vessel 410 is completely enclosed because of the high pressures at this depth, and double hatch means 411 and 413 are used to provide an air lock 415 for entry and exit. A top sealing member 435 is used to provide a watertight seal with the pipe 470 at the top of the compartment. Two seals are necessary at the bottom, the first 436 being located on the outer wall, and the second 437 being located on the inner wall. By means of the seals 435, 436 and 437 and the hatch means 411 and 413, the vessel 410 may be secured about the pipe 470 in a water-tight man- 7 ner, whereby work may be performed therein without wearing underwater diving gear. The downwardly directed support member 471 is allowed to extend out of the compartment and yet be sealed against the inflow of water by means of the extension portion 452 and the seal 464. These members act in the same manner as the extension portions 50, 52 and seal 264 used with the diagonal support 271 in the principal embodiment. It will be recognized that the vessel 410 and its external sealing members, must be made of heavier material to counteract the increased pressure.

Located in the top of the compartment 41f) is an inlet means 436 by which air and communication lines are brought to the vessel from the surface, and exhaust means 438 by which the vessel may be purged. In the deep water embodiment, the exhaust system must be supplemented by means of an exhaust fan 439 located on the surface.

Returning now to the principal embodiment of the present invention as set forth herein, the operation of the device is essentially as follows. The two sections 12 and 14 of the compartment are lowered by means of ropes or cables extending from the surface to their position adjacent to the portion of the underwater object on which the work is to be performed. The sections are held inplace by means of the ropes with which they were lowered and are brought together by divers. The edges of the sections are placed together, the sections passing about the extraneous members by virtue of the openings 40, 42, 44 and 58. The seal members 17 are placed between the flanges 16, 18, 20 and 22 and the sections are fastened together by means of the flanges and the securing means 19.

The external sealing members are then placed over the openings in the compartment and about the extraneous members extending out of the compartment through the openings. Since each of the sealing members 35, 64 and 264 are composed of sections. they too are passed about the projecting extraneous members 7, 71 and 271. The sealing members are held together loosely by the nuts and bolts passing through the lug means. Referring particularly to the sealing member used on the horizontal support 71, the sections 66 and 68 of the sealing member 64 may be passed about the support 71 and loosely secured by the lug means 70, 72, 74 and 76 and their associated nut and bolt means 78. The seal members 62 and 88 have, of course, been previously placed between the sidewall of the compartment and support 71, respectively, and the sealing member 64. The sections are then adjusted until the collar flanges 84 and 86 mate with the horizontal member 71. The securing means 92 and 94 are passed through the openings 90 and 48 and securely fastened to draw the sealing member tightly against the compartment. The clamping means 84 and 86 mate with the horizontal member 71. The securing means 92 and 94 are passed through the openings 90 and 48 and securely fastened to draw the sealing member tightly against the compartment. The clamping means 84 and 86 are tightened and the seal between the compartment and the horizontal support 71 is complete. The other sealing members 35 and 264 are attached in a similar manner, the only difference being the different type of attaching portions used on the compartment, i.e., either studs 60, or openings 48.

After the sections 12 and 14 of the compartment have been securely fastened together and the external sealing members attached, the compartment is effectively sealed against any further penetration of water. Compressed air is forced through the inlet means 36 to push the water in the compartment out through the open bottom. Air will continue to be furnished through the inlet means 36 to allow the performance of work in the compartment 10. The equipment necessary to perform the work is brought from the surface and placed in the compartment. While the equipment is being brought to the compartment it must, of course, be sealed against the water. After it has been placed in the compartment, however, the protecting apparatus may be removed and accordingly, the equipment may be the same as that used on dry land. An alternate method of operation is to leave most of the equipment on a vessel floating on the surface and bring only the operative elements to the compart ment. For example, in the case of welding, the welding equipment would remain on the surface and only the cutting and Welding leads would be taken down to the compartment.

Once the compartment is full of air it tends to rise to the surface. Although the external sealing members would be sufiicient to prevent this, it is desirable to prevent any undue strain on the sealing members which could possibly affect the watertight seal formed by them. Accordingly, the collar 98 is placed about the vertical support 7 and straps 100 extend from the collar and are attached to the vessel 10. The straps 100 cooperate with the clamp 98 to counteract the buoyancy of the vessel. Whenever it is desirable, the valve 39 may be opened and the compartment purged, thus removing any of the impurities that may arise in the air in the compartment, for example, as a result of the work performed.

The assembly of any of the modified embodiments of the present invention is the same as discussed above with the exception of the embodiment shown in FIGURE 7. Here the work to be done is on a pipe 370 lying on the bottom of the body of water. Before the vessel 310 can be attached to the pipe, a hole 311 must be dug in the bottom. After this has been done the members are passed about the pipe and secured together by means of the flanges 316. The watertight seals about the extraneous members 370, 371, 372 and 373 are then formed by the seal members 364 being attached to the face plates 354.

The ellipsoidal shape of this embodiment is the most preferable since the buoyancy of the vessel when filled with air is substantially less than with other shapes. It is more expensive to manufacture, however, and will be used only where it can be re-used on other underwater objects of similar shape. This particular vessel uses three sections for the compartment due to the particular arrangement of the extraneous members 370, 371, 372 and 373. At least two sections must be passed around each extraneous member in forming the compartment and accordingly, the number of sections used to make up a compartment will vary, depending partially on how many members must project out of the compartment and at what points they pass through the compartment wall.

The present invention is particularly adaptable to various underwater structures in that the openings in the vessel may be changed as desired both in size and position to provide for extraneous members extending from the compartment at different points, the members being of different sizes and configurations. The shape of the compartment itself may, of course, be varied and may be square, rectangular, elliptical, hexagonal, or any shape as may be desired. The exterior sealing members used to effeet a watertight seal around members projecting from the compartment may be used interchangeably with different vessels. Although these sealing members have been referred to as exterior sealing members, they may, of course, be located on the inside of the vessel as well as the outside. The use of extension members with extraneous members such as with the member 271 and as shown in FIGURE 7 will allow the use of the same sealing means irregardless of the shape of the compartment. It is, of course, not necessary that the protruding members he used, since the sealing means may be attached directly to the inside walls of the compartment. In such a situation, however, the sealing members would have to conform to the shape of the sidewalls. Furthermore, in the case of diagonal member 271, the opening in the sealing member would have to be elliptically shaped. For these reasons, elimination of the extension members would increase the cost of production of the sealing members and decrease their adaptability for use with other vessels. Sealing members having different collar diameters are also utilized to provide for variations in the size of the extraneous members.

The type of materials used to fabricate the underwater work vessel is of course variable, black iron, stainless steel, aluminum or any other suitable material being satisfactory. The strength of the materials used must vary with the depth of the water in which the vessel is to be used. The size of the vessel may also be changed to suit the conditions that are to be met.

As can be seen from the foregoing, the desired objectives sought to be achieved at the outset are accomplished by the present invention. Means have been shown which will allow workmen to perform their jobs underwater, but in a non-hostile environment. The present invention is adapted for use on underwater objects of various shapes and sizes, and does not limit the use of workmen to only those skilled in the art of diving. Minimal diving experience is necessary, only an amount sufficient to get to and from the vessel, all work being performed in the compartment. Accordingly, equipment may be used with the present invention that could not otherwise be used to perform this work underwater. The results that may be obtained are equal to that obtainable in a similar operation on land. The workmen are not hampered by bulky and unyieldy diving equipment, nor by having to work in the water. The type of work that can be performed in the vessel is virtually unlimited and includes salvage, patching pipeline, welding, re-working valves in an underwater well, as well as many other types of jobs. The work performed may be better inspected due to the present invention both visually and by more scientific tests such as ultra-violet and X-ray examination in the case of Welding.

The present invention, therefore, is well adapted to carry out the objects and attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as others inherent therein. While presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been given for the purpose of disclosure, numerous changes in the detail of construction and the combination, shape,

size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. An underwater work vessel to provide a non-hostile environment for the performance of work on an object located underwater, said object located underwater and having a portion requiring work in a non-hostile environment;

at least two longitudinal members extending from the portion at an angle other than to each other;

individual sections secured together with watertight joints to form a compartment about the portion of the underwater object;

recessed areas at predetermined points along the edges of the sections forming openings through which the longitudinal members project out of the compartmen't;

a clamp member for each longitudinal member extending through a compartment opening and having,

a flange portion about the longitudinal member and having an area larger than the area of the compartment opening,

a collar attached to the flange portion and arranged about the longitudinal member,

means to effect a watertight seal between the flange portion and the compartment surface about the draws,

and means to effect a Watertight seal between the collar and the longitudinal member;

and attaching means between the flange portion of the clamp member and the compartment surface which provides adjustment of the collar about the longitudinal member projecting from the compartment opening while completing the seal between the flange portion and the compartment surface.

2. The vessel of claim 1 wherein:

the clamp member is further comprised of sections, and

further including,

means to secure said sections together in a watertight manner.

3. The vessel of claim 1 wherein:

the attaching means includes matching openings on the flange portion of the clamp member and the compartment surface and connecting structure extending through the openings sized to provide a selection of positions for the clamp member on the compartment surface while the seal between the flange and surface is completed.

4. The vessel of claim 1 including,

an extension member extending from the external surface of the compartment about a longitudinal memher,

a face plate on the extended end of the extension member and arranged in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal member,

an opening in the face plate for the longitudinal member to extend therethrough,

and the attaching means arranged between the flange portion of the clamp member and the face plate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1954 Osborn 61-69 7/1967 Giambelluca 61-69 

